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Artifacts uncovered?
Just wondering -- did the professionals use any metal detectors or even review the aerial X-rays done in the past decade to reclaim objects in the area before the bulldozers started knocking down walls and carting the (modern) debris off with what might be something of (19th century) historical value? This is a pretty important piece of real estate.
I'll be there for a visit during my little stroll with like-minded lads at the end of June.
Cheers,
Paul Hadley

That field has been gone over and over and over an over and over and over....get my point. And, archaeologists went over every shovel full of earth when the thing was built. Artifacts found on the field today are a one in a bazillion chance of luck. All that ugly mess of a building needs is a bulldozer. There hasn't been a glass dome over that field and town for the last 150 years. Remember, Camp Colt was there, there were photo studios, a trolley a dance hall and even an amusement park on the battlefield. Pristine it isn't. Not even close and, there's things that were there during the battle, that will never be brought back. Take the stone quarry that was just behind the Trostle Farm, the Bliss Farm, the Klingle Farm the Heagy Farm as several examples. Not that I'd mind seeing all the trinket shops in town blow up.

"Grumpy" Dave T.

"Biggest problem is, at most "reenactments," nobody knows what their "historical" job was. And, in most cases the privates are worse off than the NCO's and Officers." - Deceased

The National Tower in 2000... Home Sweet Home Motel in 2003... the Cyclorama Building in 2012...

Now that's what I call progress! When's McDonald's gonna get the wrecking ball?

- Ernesto Serna

"...I'm struck by the contradiction at the core of Civil War reenacting. On the surface it's a hyper-macho hobby, focused on guns and battle. But the longer I hang out with hardcores ... the more they remind me of supermodels, chatting endlessly about their jackets and shoes and hair and how many pounds they've lost since the last event." - Tony Horwitz

I have been to the new visitors center twice and in all likelyhood will never go back. Few of the old artifacts displayed and the entrance reminds me of a bus station. Sad situation.

The real insult is the "gift shop"... what was once a real bookstore at the old musuem. "Gifts" (junk) are interpersed among the books which deemphisizes the books. The store is actually overseen by a person in California who's never even been to Gettysburg and who told one prospective book seller that history books are boring. OK, instead of boring books, we now have an emphisis on toys (junk) and gifts (more junk). And if it makes any kind of noise (wooden poppers) then all the better. I was in there once when the poppers were flying off the shelves and every little sprog in the place just had to try them out... over and over again. The July 3rd bombardment could not have been louder.

- Ernesto Serna

"...I'm struck by the contradiction at the core of Civil War reenacting. On the surface it's a hyper-macho hobby, focused on guns and battle. But the longer I hang out with hardcores ... the more they remind me of supermodels, chatting endlessly about their jackets and shoes and hair and how many pounds they've lost since the last event." - Tony Horwitz

"...I'm struck by the contradiction at the core of Civil War reenacting. On the surface it's a hyper-macho hobby, focused on guns and battle. But the longer I hang out with hardcores ... the more they remind me of supermodels, chatting endlessly about their jackets and shoes and hair and how many pounds they've lost since the last event." - Tony Horwitz